Weather or not, it was a pretty embarrassing turn out. Just shows how hard it is to fill a stadium in Sydney. Parra vs Dogs semi you get 70k. Parra vs Storm GF cheaters revenge on a rainy day you'd still think 15/17k but we get 7k. Judging on the amount of cops and private security they had at the ground it was a surprise for Ozzie & Parra Trust as well.
We have been accused of being bandwagoners. Supporters who follow a winning team. I wonder if we had good form going into this match and had the same weather if things would be different. Sadly I think it would be.
Sad to say Gronk, but in real terms, Parramatta fans are exceptionally fickle.
Now I will preface what I am about to say, in that these are my observations as a Season Ticket Holder since 1997 and a regular attendee at Parramatta games from 1996 onward at all venues. I have been through many highs and lows with this team, and the only times I could not attend is when I make commitments to other events, as in I am running things when games are play or as I was last year I was preparing for surgery.
We are the poster children for signing when we are winning.
Lots has been made about membership and promoting it heavily, the new members rewards program is an effort to keep people in membership year on year, but to my mind, regardless of the good deals and the somewhat inside information offered with the e-mails, to my mind, people what to by things when we are winning, because people want to be part of the club when we are winning.
I think the Prime Example is the last 3 years membership. 2008 off the back of the 2007 season where we made it to the grand final qualifier, we got 5500 Season Ticket Holders and about 1000 B&G army members. in 2009 off the back of the terrible 2008 season, we have 3750 season ticket Holders and about 600 B&G army members. Again this year we have picked up our membership because in no small part to Parramatta'a amazing late season run and unlikely Grand Final appearance, but if we don't find that consistent form, if we don't make the Grand Final and indeed if we don't win the premiership, will we see an increase.
It would seem at the smallest piece of adversity or poor form our numbers drop off. So the question is, if that happens when we slip out of the top 8 for 1 round, and are playing at Home against the team that Defeated us in a Grand Final game, then what is going to happen if we have an unfortunate injury and the club performs poorly for a year. Will we see the numbers like we did at the Parramatta vs New Zealand match that ended the Eels season in 2008?
Our fans are Fickle, if we are not winning, they don't turn up. Most would call it their consumers rights to not patronize something they don't like. I personally would call that a lack of a "Club" attitude, and would make them not members of our club, but consumers of our clubs success.
